Liberals say will not bring down government

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Liberal Party will not support the budget unveiled by Canada's Conservative government on Thursday, but it will not bring down the government, party leader Michael Ignatieff said.

"We can't support this budget so we're going to be voting against it in the House, but not in sufficient numbers to bring an election on. Canadians don't want an election," Ignatieff told reporters.

"Canadians want ... an alternative to cuts, freezes and gimmicks," he added.

The Conservatives hold less than half the seats in the House of Commons, meaning they need the support of at least one of the three opposition parties to pass the budget. Failing to pass the budget typically brings down the government and forces an election.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren, writing by Jennifer Kwan; editing by Peter Galloway)